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Strike ballot at Hull College Group over job losses

UCU members employed by the Hull College Group are balloting for strike action over plans to axe 231 posts.

The college has also threatened to dismiss any staff who refuse to sign up to new contracts. Staff at all three college sites in Hull, Goole and Harrogate are affected.

The ballot will open on Friday (23 March) and close on Wednesday 18 April.

The decision follows an announcement earlier this month of plans to axe 231 full-time equivalent posts - a move which UCU says would see around a third of the college workforce being cut.

UCU said the proposals were bad for staff and bad for students, and would see a huge loss of expertise across the college. It also echoed concerns raised by students about the impact of fewer contact hours for some courses as a result of the plans.

The union said it would be opposing compulsory redundancies and the imposition of new contracts, and urged the college to work with UCU to look at alternatives to this damaging approach.

UCU regional official Julie Kelley said: 'The proposed speed and scale of these cuts is a devastating blow to staff, students and the local community. These changes will mean fewer contact hours for students, fewer learning opportunities for local people and huge loss of specialist expertise. It's difficult to see how losing a third of the workforce will lead to a sustainable future for the college.

'We want to work with college management to look at alternatives to these damaging cuts, but the college has so far failed to provide proper details of their financial plans to the union. Our members feel they have been left with no option but to commence a ballot for strike action.'